Adoption and Family
Parenting by adoption is bigger, louder, and often harder to start with. From the assessment and waiting process to the adoption probation period, it can seem endless and like it will never happen. Then you get the call and your life changes forever in a miraculous way. But what next? Sure there is often a honeymoon and parenting is a blessing no matter how you get there. It is a new adventure every single day. AND also adoption comes with numerous other ups and downs.
Find Your Supports Early and Stick With Them
Very often there's minimal support for adoptive parents and families after they leave the courthouse finalizing their adoptions. Consider this your supportive honest space where we share what's worked, what doesn't work, and all the challenges in between. Share your stories, learn and grow together.-
Road Trips that Teach and Kids Road Trip Printable #travel
Road trips are great fun for the entire family. They offer the chance to bond by trapping our children with us on long car rides. There is no escape! Mwuahahahahahahaha. In addition to bonding and fun, road trips can be educational. Wait, wait. Don’t picture the kids groaning just yet, because an educational road trip doesn’t have to be a boring one! Educational Road Trips Don’t Have to be Boring Educational road trips don’t have to be an exercise in boredom. Your kids may think they hate learning, but chances are they just hate the boredom that can come with the standard approach to teaching that they get in school.…
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Get Mom All The Things This Mother’s Day #LoveHallmarkCA
Not a single day passes that I don’t miss my Mom. There are too few Mother’s Days. Trust me on this. Moms are one of a kind. This time of year in particular I wish I had taken every single Mother’s Day off work, or school. Don’t waste a moment of this precious day. Make Mother’s Day 2017 magical for your mom this year. If you still have your Mom near and dear do something special for her. And take her something meaningful and unique, especially a gift that is straight from the heart, to mark the occasion. It’s not a hard thing to do and trust me when I tell you…
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Get Loud for Girls – Mental Health Awareness Week #GetLoud
I had no plans to write about Mental Health Awareness Week, but there’s this conversation I recently had with a male paediatric psychiatrist that struck a chord. It continues to disturb me, because it rang true. So, I need it off my chest so to speak. I need it out of my head. Get Loud for Girls? You might be wondering why just girls? It’s Mental Health Awareness Week and I want you to get loud for everyone. Get loud for the 1 in 5. BUT, I want you to think hard about whether Mental Health Awareness and Care is equal for males and females, especially when it comes to…
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Stay Safe With These Five Tips When Traveling #travel
Stay safe when you travel by making sure everything is in order before you leave, and all set up for when you get there. The key to helping you stay safe is proper planning. With planning in place, you’ll have all your bases covered, from transportation to lodging to funds. Stay Safe and Secure When Traveling Whether you’re road tripping or hopping a plane, there are things you can do to help you be as safe as possible while on your trip. Think ahead and limit the opportunity for bad things to happen. So how do we do that? Car Check If you’re road tripping, always have your car checked from…
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21 Fun Slime Recipes to Make at Home
21 Fun Slime Recipes – just the thing to turn a rainy day into a fun day. Slime can also be a cool activity to do when the kids have a birthday party, PA Day or even a sick day at home. These are some extremely unique slime recipes I found in various places and wanted to share. Do you have children who watch Youtube or Instagram? Then you will know all about the slime craze happening right now. Making your own slime is all I have heard about this year since my youngest daughter started grade seven. Suddenly people were selling slime at school, and on the bus, and…
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Make a Simple Change – Take The Earth Month EnviroCare Challenge and Win
Earth Day has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that your green habits need to stop. This spring we have been taking a lot of walks together; we have built that in as a new habit after dinner most nights and weekends. We are a pretty active family already, but walking is a good way to supplement our sports and activities. Our walks are also a chance to talk about things that matter to us. Depending on the night, I walk with one or both of the girls. We get exercise in. We use our own energy, instead of driving to the gym, and we take pride in and enjoy the trails…
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Handling Disappointment – Seven Ways to Help Children Feel Okay About Losing
No trophies today? That’s okay. This past weekend our kids were in a massive martial arts tournament. They came away with a good attitude, great memories and no trophies. Why am I talking about that then? Well, I was super proud at how grownup the girls were after losing. Handling disappointment is a part of growing up and it’s a skill I feel like they are finally doing well. So, I am celebrating losing. Past Examples of Not Handling Disappointment Well Trust me, this has not always been the case. In the past, my youngest would have cried or had a full meltdown in exhaustion and frustration. And my older daughter, a…
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San Juan – A Caribbean Beauty Rich In History #IFWTWA
San Juan is one of the can’t miss areas of the Caribbean that anyone traveling to the area should incorporate into their travels. Located between the Dominican Republic and the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico shares some prime Caribbean real estate, and its capital, San Juan is a show-stopping destination. San Juan, Puerto Rico – Two Sides of One Amazing Coin When we visited the Puerto Rican capital for the first time, I didn’t know what to expect. Puerto Rico, in general, had been on my travel bucket list for five years or so. I figured that since it was an excursion stop on our cruise, it would be nice for…
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Be a Summer Hero – Parkbridge Resorts Twitter Party – RSVP Now – #ParkbridgeLife
There’s so much to love about summer. The longer days can be magical, even if you wish there were many more of them. Make the most of all the hours, all the days from May through September. Bring your A game, but don’t worry if you haven’t booked your vacation yet. This week, we are going to help you figure out what you need to know to be a summer hero. Join the Parkbridge Resorts Linked Moms twitter party this week and be a summer hero for 2017. Parkbridge Resorts will help you build beautiful memories this season. We have loved every single visit to Lakes of Wasaga, in winter…
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Spring Cleaning Made Simple – All the Things You Usually Forget #CloroxMeansClean
Spring cleaning is a great way to get a fresh start for the season. Seems like over the winter months we accumulate so much stuff. When the weather changes it’s time to give the house a good purge. You might as well clean too. I started reading Spark Joy this week by Marie Kondo, and it has inspired me to start the spring cleaning process too. From getting the dust bunnies out from behind the couches that never get moved to flipping mattresses and changing the sheets, spring cleaning is time to give your home a good purge and clean. But even when you think you did a thorough job…